Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A tool plus the logic behind it: how many years of income, debts to clear, education to cover and what you already have.
Most people add up what your income replaces, subtract existing resources, and round to the nearest five thousand. You don't need precision: term coverage is sold in round blocks, and the goal is keeping your household stable during the critical years.
Coverage estimate
Estimate = (income × years) + debts + education − existing coverage, rounded to $5,000. This is a starting point only, not personalized guidance.
Why those inputs
Income years. Planners typically suggest ten to twenty years; pick based on when your dependents will need support. In Soledad, families with young children often lean toward the longer span because costs for childcare, housing and school spike at the same time.
Debts. Your mortgage is usually the biggest. Coverage clearing it gives survivors the choice to stay, rather than having that decision made for them financially.
Education. Set aside a rough amount per child in current dollars. Building this in now beats having to buy more coverage later.
What you have. Savings you could use, plus work group plans. Since group coverage usually stops when you leave that job, many count only part of it.
Once you know your target, the quote tool shows prices for 10 through 30 year terms from each carrier. Buying a bit more than you calculated is typical because the monthly cost barely increases when you're younger.